Mark Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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336. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the up-to-date position with the opening of a secondary school in County Kildare (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27610/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is being delivered as part of the Department's ADAPT Programme. The Adapt Programme uses a professional external Programme Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Design Team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of Architectural Planning to Tender and Construction.

The brief for this project is to provide a new permanent school for the Curragh Community College, and this project is designed to be delivered in 2 phases; Phase 1 will deliver accommodation for 425 students and Phase 2 will deliver the remaining accommodation to provide for a Long Term Projected Enrolment of 1000 students, at the former Magee Barracks site in Kildare.

The Design Team lodged their initial application for planning permission for the preferred design option with the Local Authority in October 2023. The Design Team subsequently received a substantial Request for Further Information (RFI) from the Local Authority in respect of the planning application. Following the Design Teams RFI response to the Local Authority, the Design Team received the Local Authority’s initial decision to grant planning permission, with conditions, on 09 October 2024.

The initial grant of planning decision has since been appealed to An Bord Pleanála and the Design Team received An Bord Pleanála’s decision to grant planning permission in early February 2025.

The project is currently at tender stage and is a priority project for delivery by the Department.